Read the passage about decomposers. What is the main idea of the sentence?

Read the passage about decomposers. What is the main idea of the sentence?

• A. Decomposers recycle nutrients through decomposition.
• B. Decomposers produce nutrients by photosynthesis.
• C. Decomposers consume living plants but not dead material.
• D. Decomposers store nutrients in the soil.

Answer: (A)

Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem by breaking down dead material and waste. As they decompose organic matter, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are released into the soil or water, making them available for plants and other organisms. This nutrient recycling is what keeps ecosystems functioning, allowing matter to be reused rather than lost. They don’t produce nutrients through photosynthesis (that’s the job of producers like plants), and their main role isn’t to consume living plants or to store nutrients in the soil.

Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem by breaking down dead material and waste. As they decompose organic matter, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are released into the soil or water, making them available for plants and other organisms. This nutrient recycling is what keeps ecosystems functioning, allowing matter to be reused rather than lost. They don’t produce nutrients through photosynthesis (that’s the job of producers like plants), and their main role isn’t to consume living plants or to store nutrients in the soil.